Bio

Robert F. Daley

Partner

Robert F. Daley takes a simple approach to the practice of law—always put each client’s interest first. He believes in treating every client with respect and dignity and in working hard to see that justice is done. Bob’s 20 years of experience have given him a unique ability to see the big picture in any case and to anticipate outcomes before they occur. He has produced groundbreaking changes to national health care law and asbestos law through more than 20 appellate arguments before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court of West Virginia, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. In daily practice, Bob manages and litigates nursing home cases, asbestos cases, complex litigation, and class actions and has recovered more than $100 million dollars for his clients through negotiating settlements and winning verdicts.

Thankfully for the firm’s clients, Bob pivoted his career after working as a chemical engineer for eight years, following his graduation from the University of Dayton. In 1995, he switched gears and headed to Duquesne University School of Law to begin a career where he could work with real people who have real problems, one on one. Bob served as a senior staff member on the Duquesne University Law Review and graduated cum laude in 1998. He then joined Robert Peirce & Associates and has been there ever since.

Fighting for the rights of others was a natural path for Bob. He was born in Duquesne, a small steel town in Western Pennsylvania, and his father, both of his grandfathers, and countless uncles and cousins made their livings, at least for a time, working in the steel mills. This allowed Bob to witness firsthand the value of hard work, but also caused heartache when he saw the town’s devastation after the mills closed and further when two of his uncles died as a result of asbestos-caused cancers. He applies those values and lessons to his practice every day.

Bob contributes to educating future lawyers as an adjunct professor at Duquesne teaching Trial Advocacy and is a Trial Moot Court Coach. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Allegheny County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, and Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is an elected member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, was formerly the Chair of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Litigation Group, where he also previously served as its parliamentarian and treasurer. Bob has been both a Regional and National Coordinator of the AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Competition, coordinating regional competition for seven years and the National Competition on one occasion.

Bob is also an invited member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and has been named a Rising Star and Top Pennsylvania Lawyer by Super Lawyers. He received the National Appellate Advocacy Award from The Pound Civil Justice Institute in 2016 for his work in Tooley v. AK Steel, and has received an AAJ Appreciation Award for his work with the Law Student Moot Court Competition.

Over the past two decades, Bob has been working at the forefront of Nursing Home Litigation in the United States. Throughout his career, Bob has been dedicated to preserving and expanding the Constitutional Right to Trial by Jury, a bedrock principle of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Through his appellate advocacy, Bob has opened the Courthouse doors to people who previously were denied the right to Trial by Jury, and in doing so has ensured that a fundamental right of our society is both preserved and respected.

Bob spends most of his free time with his wife and three kids, including many hours at sporting events—he’s been to at least 500 youth baseball games and has coached both youth baseball and basketball. On occasion, Bob manages to spend some time on the golf course. Last but not least, Bob spends considerable time at home dodging the six dogs his wife somehow convinced him to adopt (there are two cats, too, but they’re generally smart enough to stay out of the way).

Published Works

The Grammer Decision; Andrews Nursing Home Litigation Reporter, September, 2009
A Suggested Proposal to Apportion Liability in Lead Pigment Cases, Duq. U. L. Rev., Vol. 36, No. 1, 1997
Commentary: The Grammer Decision: The Federal Nursing Home Reform Amendments Give Enforceable Rights to Residents of County Run Nursing Homes, Andrews Litigation Reporters, 2009
Court Recognizes Rights of County Run Nursing Home Residents, The Legal Intelligencer, 2009
Negligence in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (PBI), 2008
Nursing Home Predispute Arbitration Agreements, The Legal Intelligencer, November 25, 2014

Education

Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- J.D. cum laude - 1998
- Honors: Trial Moot Court Coach, Adjunct Professor, 2015 - present
- Honors: Trial Advocacy, Adjunt Professor, 2016 - present
- Law Review: Senior Staff, Duquesne University Law Review, 1996 - 1998
University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
- Bachelor of Chemical Engineering - 1987

Honors and Awards

Appellate Advocacy Award, The Pound Civil Justice Institute, 2016 - Present
Top Pennsylvania Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2014 - 2021
Elected Member Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, 2014 – Present
Regional Coordinator, AAJ Student Trial Advocacy Competition, 2007, 2009 - 2012, 2014
Appreciation Award, American Association for Justice, Trial Moot Court, 2005,2009, 2010
Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2005 - 2006
Invited Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2000 - Present
Top Pennsylvania Lawyer, Rising Star, Philadelphia Magazine, 2005 - 2006

Professional Associations and Memberships

Duquesne University School of Law, Trial Moot Court Coach, Adjunct Professor, 2015 - Present
Duquesne University School of Law, Trial Advocacy, Adjunct Professor, 2016 - Present
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 1998 - Present
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Board of Governors, 2010 - Present
American Association for Justice, 1997 - Present
American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Ligitation Group, Incoming Chair, 2016 - Present
American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Ligitation Group, Chair Elect, 2015 - Present
American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Ligitation Group, Parliamentarian, 2013 - 2015
American Association for Justice (AAJ) Nursing Home Ligitation Group, Treasurer, 2011 - 2012
American Associates of Justice (formerly ATLA) Student Trial Advocacy Competition, National Coordinator, 2015 - Present
Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, Elected Member, 2014 - Present
American Association of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, National Coordinator, 2015 - Present
American Associatoin of Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, Regional Coordinator, 2005, 2009-2012, 2014
American Bar Association, 1998 - Present
Allegheny County Bar Association, 1998 - Present
Pennsylvania Bar Association, 1998 - 2013
Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, 1998 - Present
Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, 1997 - Present
Million Dollar Advocates Forum

Classes/Seminars

Update on Nursing Home Cases Important to You, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2022
Joint and Several Liability in Medical Cases, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2022
Moderator, Nursing Home Practice In Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2021
Arbitration Case Law and Regulatory Review, Duquesne University, 2016
Medicare and Medicaid Liens: Overview, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2015
Arbitration: Case Law and Practical Considerations, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2015
Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2013
Post Settlement Lien Resolution Issues and 3rd Party Vendors, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers, 2013
Lien Resolution Issues, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Nursing Home Litigation, 2013
Post Settlement Lien Resolution Issues and Third Party Vendors, Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers, 2013
Conduct of Arbitrations and the Pisano Decision, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2013
We Are Family, Family Members Rights and Damages in Nursing Home Litigation, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2012
Distinction Between Fraud and Neglect in NH Cases, United States Department of Justice - Health Care Fraud, 2011
Negligence Per Se and the Use of Grammer v. Kane in Nursing Home Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2011
Impact of Grammer v. Kane beyond Civil Rights, AAJ Annual Convention, 2011
Civil Rights Claims in Nursing Home Litigation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2011
Impact of Grammer v. Kane Beyond Civil Rights, AAJ Annual Convention, 2011
Civil Rights Claims in Nursing Home Litigation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2011
Negligence Per Se and the Use of Grammer v. Kane in Nursing Home Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2011
Grammer v. Kane, New Jersey Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar, 2010
The Art of Persuasion: Overcoming Age Bias and Lack of Special Damages in Nursing Home Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2010
Arbitration Agreements/Post Settlement Issues, Nursing Home and Assisted Living Litigation, 2008
Negligence in Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2008
Section 8 Compliance and Other Lead Poisoning Litigation Issues, New York State Department of Health Conference on Lead Poisoning, 2000
Legally Defensible Inspection Reports, Ohio State Health Department Conference, 1999
Legal Issues in Lead Poisoning Litigation, National Lead Safe Housing, 1999
The Art of Persuasion: Overcoming Age Bias and Lack of Special Damages in Nursing Home Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice

Representative Cases

Pisano v. Extendicare Homes, 77 A.3d 651 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2013)
Landis/Tooey v. AK Steel Corp, 81 A.3d 851 (Pa. 2013)
Thrower v. Pennsylvania, 873 F. Supplement 2d 651 (Western District PA 2012)
Grammer v. John J. Kane Regional Centers, 570 F. 3d 520 (3rd Circuit 2009)
In Re: FELA Asbestos, 665 S.E. 2d 687 (W.Va. 2008)
Jenkins v. CSXT, 649 S.E. 2d 294 (W.Va. 2007)
Black v. CSXT, 648 S.E. 2d 610 (W.Va. 2007)
Slivo v. City of Pittsburgh Mun. Pension Fund, 882 A.2d 24 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2005)
Sexton v. Grieco, 613 S.E.2d 81 (W.Va. 2005)
Virden v. Altria Group, 304 F.Supp.2d 832 (N. D. W. Va. 2004)
In re: FELA Asbestos, 592 S.E. 2d 818 (W.Va 2003)
Mistick, Inc. v. Northwestern Nat. Cas. Co., 806 A.2d 39 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002)
Swierkowski v. Consolidated Rail Corp., 168 F.Supp.2d 389 (E.D. Pa. 2001)

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania, 1998
West Virginia, 1999
Ohio, 2005
U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, 2020
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2001
U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 1999
U.S. District Court Southern District of West Virginia, 1999
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1999
U.S. Supreme Court, 2006
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2009